Renishaw employee to receive award from Duke of Edinburgh

James Tyack, 23, got involved with the programme after one of his teachers at Chipping Sodbury School told him about it.

The Duke of Edinburgh is a youth charity which encourages its members to work amongst their local communities and to improve and encourage their key skills. In order to achieve a gold award the programme asks its members to work through five sections – volunteering, physical, skills, expedition and residential.

James, who graduated from Bath University in 2008 with a degree in computer information systems, completed a variety of different activities under these categories. For the volunteering part of the award, he became an industrial mentor, involved in teaching secondary school children robotics. For the physical section, he competed in several marathons, most recently the Belfast City Marathon.

For the expedition section James did an 80km trek across Brecon Beacon in Wales. He also learnt the art of cabinet-making for the skills section and looked after the grounds at Stourhead Estate for the residential part of the challenge.

James has said that whilst he enjoyed all of the challenges he faced, he particularly liked the expedition section.

"I am truly honoured to have had the opportunity to partake in and complete this award," said James. "Since I began this award in 2005, it has helped to develop my teamwork, leadership and interpersonal skills. The memories of this award will remain with me for the rest of my life."

Aside from the Duke of Edinburgh award James completed a 10 day trek up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and his next challenge is to complete the Bristol Half Marathon in under one hour, 30 minutes.

James, who now works as a software engineer for Renishaw in Wotton-under-Edge, will travel to St James’s Palace in London on November 2 to receive his award, which will be presented either by the charity’s founder, the Duke of Edinburgh or its trustee, the Earl of Wessex.